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Topic: Family, I need your advise please! (Read 243 times) |
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nancyc
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Family, I need your advise please!
« on: May 1st, 2004, 1:18am » |
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For months now, I have been waking up with my arms numb and hurting....I had posted a while back that I thought it was the topamax....well, I found out today after an MRI, I was very wrong.....I have several cervical bulging disc, Neural foraminal stenosis, ligamentum flavum buckling into my spine, and degenerative disc disease...I am devasted....Has anyone ever gone thru this? If so, should I go to a Neurosurgeon as I have been told to do by my Doctor....or go to a Orthopedic surgeon? One of my nurse friends told me the Orthopedic surgeon would be my better option....Can you help me out here as I am really confused and need some feedback. ..Thanks for your help....I did not know where else to go for help but HOME!  nancyc
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Tiannia
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #1 on: May 1st, 2004, 1:34am » |
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I have degenerative disc disease in my lower back. I injured the mucsles in the same location in 2000. I was sent to an ortho doc. At that time he stated that he would not operate until the disks rupture. Personally I prefer the ortho. Which ever you pick, make sure that you find a doc that talks with you not at you. It is very risking doing any typer of surgery near or in the spine. Hell I had to sign a waiver saying that i understood that I could be seriously injured then I had the RFG and nerve block done in Feb.
Just take your time and find out everything about what is going in with your body.
Vibes are headed your way, Nancy
-Tia
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| « Last Edit: May 1st, 2004, 1:41am by Tiannia » |
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Little Deb
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #2 on: May 1st, 2004, 1:58am » |
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Sending vibes to ya sis. You know my opinion...go for the neurosurgeon. The ortho is better for sports related injuries, bone, ligaments, etc. The neuro is gonna know the spine and nerves better. I question your neuro, just because he didn't do the MRI in the first place, but he may refer you to a decent surgeon.
Get some rest girl, and don't worry yourself to death. You have the power of prayer with you and more vibes than your tired ole ass can handle!!!!!
Love ya sweetie...Little Deb
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Callico
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #3 on: May 1st, 2004, 3:04am » |
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Hi Nancy, I'm praying for you that you will find the right Dr. Actually I don't think it makes a whole lot of difference in that area IF the Dr. is fully competent. If your insurance will allow it I would suggest seeing one for an opinion and discussion of what will be done in the surgery and then see the other for a second opinion, Then I would decide based upon how they present the situation to you. Don't be in a hurry to decide because once they cut they cannot put it back.
jc
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Charlie
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #4 on: May 1st, 2004, 3:08am » |
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Damn sorry you have to deal with this too. 
I know little about this kind of thing but.........
One of my colleagues in the collectible business was a RN who taught nursing for awhile. Dave always said that he would take a lot of time consideriing back surgery. He didn't need if but said to be very very careful. My neighbor had something like this done. She's okay but says she tires easily. She's a middle aged nurse as well. She WOULD do it again though.
All I'm saying is if you can, spend a lot of time setting up any surgery . Look around...a lot.
Good luck and it would be nice if these characters were a bit more careful. It sounds worse than it is I bet.
Charlie
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pubgirl
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #5 on: May 1st, 2004, 3:44am » |
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Hi Nancy
You really don't need this do you  I'm so sorry you have this to deal with too.
I can't help with useful information as my bulging disc is in my lower back and it can be manipulated back into place over a period of time when it bulges and with huge doses of painkillers while I'm being worked on. Mine is self inflicted too so I only have myself to blame, (too many hours at a computer/desk with poor posture  )
Sounds like the advice to learn everything you can, then take a considered view before you let anyone loose on your body has to be right.
Sending the only help I can, namely vibes and prayers
Wendy
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Woobie
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #6 on: May 1st, 2004, 5:09am » |
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Hi there
Man, that sounds bad = I'm sure it sounds worse than it is.....but it sounds painful.......whatever it all means.
I dont know anything about it - I just wanted to send you some vibes.... sounds like yer gonna neeed it.
Keep yer chin up!
tina 
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Renee
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #7 on: May 1st, 2004, 9:25am » |
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Nancyc,
In my opinion:
If surgery is the only option then:
a. you will want an orthopedic surgeon to do the work on the vertebrae/disc
b. you will want a neuro surgeon in there at the same time to do the work on the nerves.
Many people have had, for example, back surgery by an ortho surgeon that repaired the disc but found little pain relief because the nerves were not repaired or rerouted.
My brother in law had to have a neuro surgeon go back in a second time because the nerves were not taken care of while the ortho doc was in there.
I have 2 herniated/bulging discs in my neck and 1 in lower back and 2 bone spurs in neck. I will not let anyone fuse anything together until it is absolutely a last resort as once you fuse vertebrae together the vertebrae above and below the fusion begin to wear abnormally and eventually can become an issue.
I take flexeril to keep the muscle spasms down and just live with limited mobility. I also take an NSAID for the inflammation. This combo keeps me going ok for now until the weather changes.
good luck and so sorry to ramble on,
pf vibes headed your way
renee
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| « Last Edit: May 1st, 2004, 9:26am by Renee » |
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miapet
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #8 on: May 1st, 2004, 9:36am » |
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I'm sorry to hear about your situation.
a: get a second
b: ask someone in the medical field (in your area), that you trust, who they would go to for this type of procedure if it was them or the one they loved . . .they are usually REALLY sure of who they would select for themselves/their loved ones . . .
*positive light and energy*
miapet
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minnie
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #9 on: May 1st, 2004, 10:18am » |
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Nancy I'm sorry you have to go through with this.I had disc surgery on my lower back last June S1/L5 by a neurosurgeon my disk had ruptured and was pressing on my sciatic nerve.according to a couple of doctors I pretty much had no choice but to have the surgery soon.The nerve was becoming damaged .left my job early and missed my daughters pre-school graduation cause I was in the hospital. also missed ny convention because the doctor didn't tell me how long it would be before I could ride in a car  .
I can't reccommend one docter over another sorry.i do know I would do it again just with a different doctor.mine wouldn't explain much and the day of the surgery I wasn't supposed to move but he let me throw up all night said I would "get over it " and wouldn't prescribe phenagine !!! I'm not back to work yet because my back can be really bad somedays but before my surgery the pain was in my back and down my right leg.belief it or not the pain down my leg was the worst .surgery relieved that.
theres a lot of people on the board going through about the same thing .I know cooties back is real bad.I hope you both find a reliefe from your pain I will be sending vibes your way.sorry I couldn't be more help.
Minnie
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Turts
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #10 on: May 1st, 2004, 10:46am » |
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Gday Nancy C,
I have no advise but I do have plenty of vibes for you. I hope you find all the help you need here. As suggested, if affordable thru insurance, i would see both for an opinion and go forward from there
Thinking of ya
Turts
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nancyc
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #11 on: May 1st, 2004, 11:10am » |
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Thanks so much for the great information...this area is new to me...and I remember little of it from nursing school...Please keep the prayers coming too....got alittle too stressed out last nite after work and posting ....had to take an imitrex shot, the first one in a long time! It was so strange though because it was not a full blown cluster and it originated in my neck...then went to my eye....anyway, thanks again....who knows maybe these nerves being pressed on have contributed to alot of my problems? One can only wonder. Keeping the faith that all will work out for the best... nancyc
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| « Last Edit: May 1st, 2004, 11:12am by nancyc » |
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Kevin_M
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #12 on: May 1st, 2004, 12:07pm » |
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Nanc,
No advise, just sending positive vibes.
Take care, hope things can be corrected.
Discovering this may help alleviate some of what you've been feeling lately, once it can be arranged to be properly dealt with. Whichever way you go, good luck and positive vibes girl 
Kevin M
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pubgirl
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #13 on: May 1st, 2004, 12:08pm » |
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Sorry about this one Nancy riding on your post (and it probably isn't the reason you have a problem), but a warning to those of you who are younger and haven't hit back trouble yet.
If you spend a lot of time at a desk or on a computer, get an orthopaedically designed chair which makes your posture correct.
There are literally hundreds of millions of people in their 40's+ now with serious back and neck problems caused by the way we work today ie. sedentary and hunched over for hours a day.
My GP gets really het up about it as she reckons no employers are thinking about it and she sees it is as her No.1 reason why her middle aged patients come to her with physical problems.
If we can stop just one of you suffering the same, it's good.
Please, get a good chair and use it properly and take regular breaks
Rant over
Wendy on a mission
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JDH
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #14 on: May 1st, 2004, 12:54pm » |
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Nancy, Sorry to hear about the diagnosis. Please exhaust ALL of your options before agreeing to back surgery.
In '96 I went in for a "simple" disc operation to repair a herniated disc and I came out of that worse than before I went in. When they got in there they had to cut on my sciatic nerve to get it away from the disc and to this day I have no feeling in the outside part of my left leg and foot. Also have chronic pain in my back, butt and thigh that stays with me 24/7/365.
Now a recent MRI shows that there's another herniated disc right above the one that was "repaired". It seems that it's fairly common for the disc below and above a repaired one to herniate BUT nobody told me that before my operation.
An Ortho and a Neuro have both recomended another operation but the only way I'll ever let them cut on me again is if I get to where I can't walk anymore.
IMO. just say NO to surgery.
Good luck,
Jim
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Karla
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #15 on: May 1st, 2004, 4:55pm » |
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I had a bulging disk pressed up against the nerve root in my lower back. It was causing my leg and foot to be numb. I had emergency surgery performed because I went into the ER in extreame pain. Couldn't lay, sit, stand, do anythiing except I thought I would die. Plus the numbness drove me crazy and made me so worrried. I wasn't given a choice who operated on me. It was a neuro surgeon. Other than having to learn how to walk over again I was very pleased with the results.
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Karla
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ShariRae
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #16 on: May 1st, 2004, 6:31pm » |
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Nancy.....
I have no idea which is the better option for you.. I just wanted you to know you are in my thoughts and prayers..
Love to You
Shari
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Leesa
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #17 on: May 1st, 2004, 9:27pm » |
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Sis, dont know what to say other then Im sorry your hurting. But do your "homework" on this before you do anything. Got the vibes and prayers goin up for ya sista. LOVE YOU!!!!!
Miss ya lots, Leesa
PS: the "warden" sends his love and best wishes to ya sis!!
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nancyc
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #18 on: May 2nd, 2004, 12:53am » |
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Had a professional friend look at my report today...seems like i missed something else...I also have arthritis in my C7- T1 area....They said it looks like I will probably be having a MRI on my lumbar area now to see what is going on there too...when it rains it pours sometimes....Maybe all these years working on my feet on these hard hospital floors have not been the best for me LOL....thanks for all the good vibes and feedback...just got in from work and your posts made me feel loved..I go to my neuro Monday who i am upset with cause he did not order an MRI months ago when this first started....Thank God for my GP who did order the MRI....My GP made an appt with a neuro surgeon for May 11th but will see what my neuro/pain management doctor says...if i am speaking to him after monday....thanks, nancyc
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nancyc
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #19 on: May 2nd, 2004, 1:15am » |
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One other question for all of you...i read today after doing some research on the spine that cervical (spinal )headaches can affect the trigimenal nerve...and can be just like chs.....do you think this is possible or am I grasping at straws? I have been diagnosed with chs for over 25 years...and chronic for years now..... nancyc
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Mikey
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Re: Family, I need your advise please!
« Reply #20 on: May 2nd, 2004, 1:15am » |
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Sis, A lot of us in the family have that exact same disease. My brother has it so bad that he has had three major surgeries on his spine, and he used a Neuro surgeon with all three ( the same one), and he has had good success with the operations. As for me, mine is slight for now, and does not need surgery at this point the disease runs in our family my little brother has it, and so does my dad.
You know that I will be sending all the prayers that you can stand, and great big HUGE vibes too!!!!!!!!
can't wait to see ya again Sis!!!
Mikey, 
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